Apparatus for moving earth



A. MGDOUGALL.

APPARATUS FOR MUVING EARTH, SAND, Aw.

No. 393,996. Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

(No Model.)

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UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL, OE DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

APPARATUS FOR MOVING EARTH, SAND, &C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 893,996, dated December 4, 1888.

Application filed April 28, 1888. Serial No. 272,185. (No model.)

T0 (all whom, it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MCDOU- GALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Moving Sand, Earth, dsc.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact dei scription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

My invention relates to a new and improved device to be used particularly for the purpose of loading, transporting, and unloading sand, earth, &c.; and my invention consists of a scow, with stime novelties in construction, which I will hereinafter point out and embody in the claims.

For the better understanding of this apparatus reference should be had to the drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view ot' the scow; Eig. 2,

a similar view with the deck removed; Fig. 3,

a central vertical elevation of the entire scow, and Fig. -i a side elevation of the same.

Similar letters denote corresponding parts in each figure.

The hull A oi the scow is made in any usual or well-known manner, it being.; only essential that there should be two or more longitudinal,

preferablywater-tight,bulk-heads, a d, extend ing from end to end, an d so arranged that two of such bulk-heads shall have between them a compartment or space, Zi, which shall be nearly or quite central in the hull. The floors c c of this space are inclined toward the center of the scow, preferably stopping a little distance apart and having a flat recess, c', at the bottom, which may be the surface of the bottom of the scow. In this recess c', and preferably near the end of it, is placed a pipe, B, the interior of which communicates with the water below the scow and rises to a point preferably about half as high as one of the central bulkheads. This pipe constitutes or serves to support a valve which can be opened or closed from the top of the sand-box. The sandbox C is secured to the deck D of the scow in any strong' an d suitable man ner and is shorter than such deck, so as to leave sufficient clear space d d at each end for managing the scow, and a i small space, d d', on either side for the same purpose. At either end space, d, also are hatches e, opening' into the hull at points other than the central space, b, for the purpose of entrance and for ventilation. This sand-box C is divided by a bulk-head, e', extending from end to end of the box, and preferably inclined so as to be a little lower in the center than the sides ol the box. and which is made water-tight.

Near each side ol' such bulk-head are a series of holes, f, passing through the deck and comn'iunicating wi t-h the space Z). These holes are conveniently closed by wooden plugs f', which may be attached to the sides of such bulk-head by cords. On one side of the same bullehead and near the center of the same a water-tight box, E, is placed, which extends about as high as the bulk-head and opens into the space l) in the hull, and this box is preferably not larger in internal diameter than two feet in width by four in length. A rod, g, passes through this box for opening and closing the valve of the pipe B.

A trough, E, is preferably placed upon the top of the bulk-head e', inelining` toward the communicating cross-troughs l", each with suitable gates or openings; but these troughs can be dispensed with without serious inconvenience. Numerous holes, 71, pierce the sides of the sand-box and are closed by wooden plugs h', secured as above described. Apiece of the inlet-pipe of a sand-pump provided with a bent arm, 7;, is shown in position in the box E.

It is evident that` the central bulkhead, e', i maybe dispensed with; butitis believed that such a change would not be advantageous, and that many changes might' be made in the apparatus above described by me as preferable without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The manner of operation is as follows: The holes f in the deck and the valve B being closed, the scow is moved to that part of the river or harbor from the bottom of which the sand is to be removed. A sand-pump of any suitable constructie]l-one of the centrifugal ones being preferred-carried on board of a suitable vessel, by preference being placed in proper position near the scow, sand is drawn up from the bottom and pumped into the sand- IOO boX C either by placing the end of the delivery-pipe of the pump in relation to some convenient part of the troughs F F or by placing such delivery-pipe so as to discharge pretty nearly equally on each side of the central bulkhead, e. 4The sand and Water thus pumped into the sand-box, usually in proportions about three-fourths of water to one-fourth of sand, is relieved and drained of water by the removal of a suiiieient number of plugs from the holes 71,. This work of lilling and draining is carried on until the sand-box is sufficiently full, and the scow is then moved as nearly as convenient to the'place of deposit. The holes Yh are then closed, and the holes f in the decl;

are opened, and the bent end of the sandpump pipe is passed down through the box E to the recess c. later is then discharged on he' sand in the sand-box, preferably by forcepumps or pumps mounted on the scow, until it is sufficiently iuid to run down through the holes f into the compartment or space I), and by means of the inclines in the saine is diverted toward the center of the compartment and near the valve-pipe 13. The sand thus deposited is not suficientlyfiuid to be raised by the sand-pump, and therefore the valve-pipe B is opened, and sufficient water is mingled withl the sand in the Vicinity of the pipe of the sand-pump and the pump is put in operation, raising the sand and water out of the compartment or space b, and discharging it through the discharge-pipe of the pump or through additional pipes to the place desired. After the sand begins to How freely down the compartment b the sand-pump can begin to work and both operations of filling and discharging said compartment go on at once.

I have found by trial that the cost of discharging sand by this inode from a scow as above described is Very much less than the usual way.

A scow as above described is equally well fitted for the handling of earth, gravel, or even clay, provided the same is not too tough to be broken into fragments by the suction of the inlet-pipe of the sand-pump.

It should be understood that two, or even more, inclined chambersfor the reception of Vthe sand may be used, if necessary, and it should be further understood that the shape of the seow is immaterial, and, further, that the seow may be replaced by a barge or an old hull.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new tlierein is- The apparatus, substai'itially as described, consisting of a seow with a compartment in the hull communicating with the waterbelow, and a sand-box mounted on said se'ow and communicating with the compartment in the hull'.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL. lYitn esses:

E. R. BRACE, H. BERRY. 

